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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. E. NOBLE.

COMBINED INSULATOR AND LIGHTNING ARRBSTER. No. 280,324. Patented June26, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. NOBLE, OF MULBERRY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-SIXTH TO CHARLES J.LEMING, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED INSULATOR AND LlGHTNlNG-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,324, dated June 26,1883,

Application filed April'9,1883. (N0 model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHNE. NOBLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mulberry, in the county of Olerinont and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Insulator andLightning- Arrester; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a combined telegraph-wire insulator,lightning-arrester, and connector for electrical conductors; and to thisend it consists in the construction and arrangement of the variousparts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in theclaims.

The invention, so far as regards the lightning-arrester, is based uponthe well-known fact that discharges of atmospheric electricity orlightning will take the shortest route to the ground, and will in sodoing pass through poorer conductors than telegraph-wire, or leap spacesthat electricity generated by the fiuid batteries used at telegraphstations cannot leap.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, showclearly the manner in which I utilize the fact above set forth, and alsoshow my method of connecting electrical conductors to thet'elegraphwires already in place.

In said drawings, Figure 1 represents a-portion of a telegraph-polehaving wire-supporting arms connected thereto and provided with myimprovement. Fig. 2 represents a similar viewtaken from the oppositeside of the wiresupporting arm. Fig. 3 represents an end view of saidarm. Fig. 4represents avertical section taken through the insulator, itssupportingpin, and the cross-arm, and shows the lightningarrestingdevices, also th e manner of connecting branch wires to the main line ofwire. Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view taken through thewire-supporting arm, and showing the ground-' connection of thelightning-arrester. Fig. 6

represents a front elevation of a portion of the wire-supporting arm,partly in section to show lightning-arresting devices; and Fig. 7represents a perspective view of a portion of the conducting-plate ofthe lightning-arrester and the ground-connection thereof.

Similar letters of reference in the several drawings denote similarparts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a telegraph-pole provided withthe usual cross or wire supporting arm, A. The arm A carries any desirednumber of insulator supports or pins, B, tapering in form, above thecross-arm A, and provided at their upper ends with male'screws b, thattake into female screws 1) within the insulators B. The pins or supports B are provided at or near their middles with shoulders d, thatrest up on rubber washers a, placed upon the tops of the cross-arms A.The lower portions, B of the supports B pass down through aperturesprovided in the crossarms A, as shown.

B represents the insulators, of glass and in the usual form.

0 represents the line-wires, held in position upon the insulators B bybinding-wires c, in the usual manner.

D represents mortises or apertures extending from the shoulders (I ofthe pins or sup-- ports B, through said pins in an upward direction, andterminating upon the opposite sides of the pins at points (1, within thechambers b, formed by the overhanging lower portions of the insulators Babout the pins B. The mortises or apertures D are somewhat larger attheir lower than at their upper ends, and

at said lower ends they open into slots D, formed in one side of thelower portions, B of the said pins.

E represents metal strips secured within the slots D by screws 6, andextending thence upwardthrough the mortises D, their upper ends beingpierced by contact-screws e.

E represents contact-plates placed upon the shanks of the screws 9,outside of the strips, as shown, Fig. 4, for a purpose hereinafter to beexplained.

G represents screw-blocks secured in the side of the shanks B", oppositethe metal strips E. The blocks G are perforated, and are provided withfemale screws, that engage with corresponding male screw-threads upon adjusting-pins G, that pass through the shanks B and metal strips E, theirpoints g terminating a short distance from a metal plate, F, securedwithin a recess or groove, F, in one of the side faces of the arm A. Theplate F extends from end to end of the groove F, thus being connnon toeach and all of the adjusting rods or pins G of the shanks B The plate Fis provided at or near its middle with a projecting metal rod, F, thatpasses from said plate through the arm A, and terminates at its outerfree end in a screw-cup, F, from which extends a conducting-wire, F, tothe earth. The wireisheld to the cup by athumbscrew,

F represents a wooden strip placed and held within the groove F, outsideof the plate F, by screws, the plate thus being protected from theweather.

It will be observed that the back of the groove opens into the verticalapertures provided in the arm A for the reception of the shanks B of thepins B, thus allowing free passage for electric currents from the stripE to thejplate F.

H represents wires in electric contact with the line-wires O, andextending thence to and secured between the contact-plate E and theupper end of the metal strip E.

The operation of my improved lightning arrester is as follows: \Vhen theline-wire O is struck by lightning on atmospheric clectricity, saidelectricity will pass along the line until it reaches a pole providedwith the abovedescribed ground-connection, where, taking the wire H, itpasses down said wire and its connected strip E to the points 9 of thepins G. From said points 9 it leaps across the space between said pointsand the plate F to said plate. From thence it passes by the rod F" andwire F to the earth.

From the above description it will be observed that the metal plates E Fare kept at all times in a dry condition, while the only external exitof said strip-i. 0., at the point dis protected from dampness by theoverhanging lower portion of the insulator B.

'W hen desired, branch wires may be connected to the main-line wires 0,as follows: Let I represent the end of a branch wire. Said wire iscarried to and placed between the contact-plate E and spring or metalplate E, in electrical contact with said plate and spring. Currents froma iluid batterysuch as is in common use at telegraph-stationswill passthrough the wire I to the contact-plate E, thence through the wire H tothe line-wire C, or in contrary direction.

The addition of the wire I does not in any way affect the operation ofthe lightning-arrester, from the fact that lightning always takes theshortest route to the earth and will. leap the space between the pointsg of the rods G and the plate F, while the current passing along thewires from the fluid-batteries will only pass from said wires at pointswhere perl'ect electric contacts are made.

Having thus described myinventi on, what I claim, and desire to protectby Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a combined insulator and lightning arrester, the combination ofthe insulator B, insulating-pin B, provided with mortise and slot D,with the arm A, post A, and means, substantially as described, forconducting atmospheric electricity to earth, as set forth.

2. In a combined insulator and lightningarrester, the combination of theinsulator mounted upon a. pin or support, B, with the metal strip E, andmeans for connecting said strip E with the line-wire 0, plate F, and theground, substantially as described.

3. In a combined insulator, lightningala roster, and connector, thecombination of the insulator mounted upon the insulating-pin B, providedwith metal strip E, electrically connected by awire, H, with the mainline U,with the arm A, provided with means, substantially as described,whereby atmospheric electricity may be conducted from said line-wire 0,through the wire H and strip E, to the earth, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a combined insulator, lightning-an rester, and connector, thecombination of the insulator B, mounted upon the insulating-pin B,provided with metal strip E, screws 0, com tact-screw c, contact-plateE, and adjusting screws G, with the arm A, provided with groove F, andmetal strip F, protected from weather by wooden strip F'-', and havingmetal rod F, provided at its end with screw-cup F", whereby to attachthe ground-wire F", substain tially as described, and for the purposespecified. r

5. The combination of an insulator, 13, linewire C, and means forconducting atmospheric electricity to and from plate F, with the post A,cross-arm A, provided upon one side with groove F, extending from end toend of the arm, plate F, and wooden strip Ii, said arm being alsoprovided with vertical peribrations to receive the shanks of theinsulator-pins, said perforations opening at one side into the groove F,substantially as sh own and described.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. NOl-lLE. Vitnesses:

(J. J. LEMING,

701m Poor.

